Rich,
My father was diagnosed at 72 and died at 79. He lived alone until he died. I went over there every single day and took care of him. I would get him settled in his chair, fed, toileted, cleaned, etc, and then leave and he would be alone for several hours until someone came and gave him lunch. Then in the afternoon he was alone until someone else came and did his dinner. I did the hard stuff at the beginning of the day, 7 days a week, so I knew that the important things were taken care of. He soooo much did not want to be in a home, and it was important for me to try to see that he didn't have to. Anyway, what I'm getting at, is that your father could possibly still continue to live alone. He will just have to agree that he's not going to do things that might get him hurt, like try to walk or eating (choking hazard). It is possible, or at least it was for us. People were horrified, but it worked for us. It was very difficult for me, but it was still doable. My dad agreed that he knew there were some risks, but it was worth it to him to stay home. I hope that helps. I don't know how we would rate who should get ALS and when. I know I was incredibly sad that I had to see my father get that horrible disease, but I was glad that he had me to help. Mary Helen
